Tairngir tellings

This is a poem I wrote a while back it was inspired when I heard of a girl in Burma being taken and horrible things done to her.

The bruised soul in the battered body ached for renewal,
Teeth clenched, little chest shaking as heart weakly reaching out,
Energy spent, love torn, her mind full of doubt,
God’s bruised reed, His smouldering wick, He will not snuff or break,
Holding hand, Kissing cheek,
As in dead of night her soul He did take

Originally posted on http://tairngir.tumblr.com/page/91

Dec 24 2008

I wrote a short poem called “I saw Jesus a walking” and I met up with the same guy (Andy) a week later.

He was saying how he was no good to society and basically worhtless. I reminded him of the incident where he helped an old lady cross the street and told him how that had affected me, blessed me and challenged me. Then I said that in that moment he was the better man he was the more Christ-like. I explained how I would of helped her cross the first street then I would have said that I was in a hurry and wished her luck before striding away on more “important” business. Andy however saw the real need in her eyes and the way she talked and walked. He asked her where are you headed? She went on to explain that she wanted to get to the bus stop so she could get home. So Andy without hesitation said I’ll help you to the bus stop. This meant crossing another much busier street that at that time of day would be a complete nightmare. she could have used a crossing but at the fragile pace she walked it meant another 5-10 mins of walking.

They clutched arm in arm started to cross after waiting a couple of minutes only for a car to come as they got half way across. He boldly and with no shame held up his hand and proceeded across the rest of the road to the other side. Most people seemed pissed off with this and scowled behind there screens of apathy even as my eyes were being descaled of hoplessness. He was the better man that day and I knew it. I saw Jesus in his eyes and selfish good intentions in my own. A drunk, homeless man more Jesus than a church going man with all he needs on tap.This is not something to beat myself up over but hopefully a spiritual cleaner a de-scaler for the eyes of my heart.

Originally posted on http://tairngir.tumblr.com/page/93

Dec 1 2008

A storm, a calm, an ocean, a mountain….

Which is it? why is it so extreme, hard, amazing, easy, enticing, repulsive, unrelenting, restful.

I have to celebrate and commisurate in equal measure.

What is this thing of unthingness, no yardstick can measure it, huge and tiny in its way

Intricate, simple, a way, a time, a place, no way, all the way

Love…………………..

There is one world view that is like a board with a range of tones black to white. At the top maybe we have Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela. and at the bottom Hitler or Genghis Khan. We probably put ourselves somewhere in the middle (probably pretty high up though) and those above us we envy and make heroes and those below us we hate or at best pity and they are the enemy (consciously or not) This leads to dehumanising those “below” so as to justify the way we think and treat them. And also leads to making the heroes unreachable, untouchable giants that we pale against.

But there is another way in the realisation that we all fall short of the glory of God but are beautiful creations. The board is instead a kaleidoscope of colours arranged like a rainbow. And no one coulour is “better” but all are equally beautiful and when fully merged make pure white. We are all equal and different. Sure Gandhi achieved something amazing and was anamazing human being but somewhere inside you, me and them is that same spirit. And maybe if we’re willing to admit the same spirit that alowed Pol Pot to do what he did can reign in us if we let it. So we have a choice. Let’s be a rainbow of colours a kaleidoscope of humanity with God’s love one all amazing and all broken and if we dare equal.

Originally from http://tairngir.tumblr.com/page/97

My friend said that she could listen to water flowing all day and I nodded in agreement. But as we walked a bit further along I thought about how mixed up and filled up my head and heart were and this led me to think of how much striving I was doing in my life. I was (and am) running to stand still.

As I was thinking this a quiet voice from within said “A river does not struggle to get to the sea.” I shared this with my friend and she said that it was pretty profound and deep in an native American way. If God who thinks about us much more than He does a sparrow, who never goes wanting do we struggle uphill to nowhere?

Maybe if we could find the valley of the Lord we could just flow to Him without effort.

Originally posted on http://tairngir.tumblr.com/page/97

Aug 12 2008

I was thinking of someone I know…..

They’re one of these people who knows what they believe and are very vocal about it. But in a way that means they wont listen to and can’t see others points of view.

It’s like a man who writes his thoughts on a piece of paper and then stuffs the paper in his ears so that he cannot hear anothers thoughts.